Cleaner for sucker rods and the like



Jan. 12, 1932. A. M. SCHUSTER CLEANER FOR SUCKER RODS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Jan 12, 1932.

A. M. SCHUSTER CLEANER FOR SUCKER RODS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J71 fen to): /1rf/2u/ MSG/21:5 fer Patented Jan. 12, 1932 I PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR H. SCHUBTEB, OF mnwm'r, WYOMING CLEANER FOB STICKER RODS AND THE LIKE Application filed Ianuary 18, 1929. Serial No. 333,484.

In withdrawing sucker rods from oil wells, many of which are 2000 or 4000 feet or more in depth, the accumulation of wax and heavy oil on the sucker rod becomes a matter of serious consideration. Everything around the top of the oil well becomes covered with this oil and wax, which of itself is very objectionable. Moreover, this heavy wax and oil if not removed accumulates quantities of sand while out of the well which is returned to the well, and this sand settles to'the bottom of the well where it causes trouble in the pump. Various schemes for taking care of this very objectionable material have been suggested, but heretofore none of them has been commercially feasible. This invention, therefore, precludes the necessity foil pulling the rods except at longer interva s.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for removing the oil and wax from the sucker rod as it is pulled from the oil well.

This and other objects, as will hereinafter appear, are accomplished by this invention, which is fully described in the following specification shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fi re 1 is a side elevation of the device applied to the tubing of an oil well;

so Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 of Fig. 2 showing that portion of the apparatus below this line in plan;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 3 of Fig. 2 but lies in the opposite direction;

Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the upper portion of the device shown in Fig. 2 showing a rod coupling passing through the upper rubber scraper;

Fig. 6 is a partial enlarged view of one ofthe cleaner elements showing a coupling passing therethrough;

Fig. 7 is a section through a modified form top rubber scraper; and

Fig. 8 is a broken side elevation of a sucker rod showing the couplings and wooden rod protectors.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a hollow frame 10 adapted to be secured to the passage therethrough of rod couplings,

tubing A of the oil well as by means of complementary threaded portions on these tube members, as shown. The sucker rod B extends through the hollow frame 10 and down through the tubing A to the oil pum The frame 10 is preferably made 0 malleable iron, as it must necessarily be uite strong as will hereinafter appear. vahile ribs are omitted for the sake of clearness, it will be understood that this frame will be suitably ribbed to give it the necessary strength and rigidity without at the same time adding too greatly to its weigh.

The frame 10 is provided with a series of openings as 11 which are preferably uniformly spaced about the axis of the cleaner and of the pump rod B, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3. Into each of the openings 11 is inserted a holder 12 which passes therethrough, as is shown in Fig. 2, the holder being secured in place by means of cap screws 13.

A plunger 14; is slidably mounted within the holder 12 and is normally forced inwardly by means of a spring 15, a set collar 16 secured upon the reduced extension of the plunger serving to limit its inward travel.

The plunger 14 carries at its inner end a scraper element 17 which as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 is substantially C-shaped so as to normally surround the pump rod B. This scraper element is preferably made up of cotton webbing and vulcanized rubber, such as is to be found in rubber belting and the like. The purpose of this is to provide a certain amount of strength and rigidity to the element 17 so as to cause it to act as a scraper upon the sucker rod B, at the same time being sufiiciently yielding to permit the wooden rod protectors, and the like.

The rod comes in lengths which are connected by means of couplings G which are screwed therein. To add further to the difliculties of cleaning a pump rod of this kind, the rod may be provided at intervals with wooden rod protectors D which are secured on the rod by means of metal rings E which are driven down over the tapered ends of the wooden rod protectors D. The purpose of 20 from.

.these protectors is to prevent the rod fromrubbing against the tubing A while pumpis shown in Fig. 3, it almost completely sur-' rounds it. At the same time this member is sufliciently yielding to enable it" to open in order to pass either the coupling C or the wooden protectors D. All of these members are substantially cylindrical in form so that in passing throughthe member 17 it closely "surrounds them at all times, thereby very effectually scraping the oil and wax there-' It willbe observed that the scraping elementsare preferably three in number and disposed about the axis of the rod B so as to exert pressure thereon at different points as the rod is passing through the cleaning device.

The frame or casing 10 is preferably closed at the top by means of a cap 18 which fits thereover, and is secured thereto as by means of screws 19. An elastic closure member 20,-such as rubber, is centrally perforated and secured within a central opening in the cap 18 as by means of a plate 21 which is secured on the cap by means of screws 22. As the rod B passes upwardly through the rubber closure member 20, most of the wax and oil is loosened and removed by the scraper members 17, substantially all of the balance being removed by the closure member 20.

As the wax is removed from the sucker rod B by the scraper members 17, it passesout through suitable ,openings 10*, 10", 10, and the like in the frame of casing 10. These openings are made as large as possible to allow the easy egress of the accumulated oil and wax which has been scraped off the rod. In order to prevent weakening of the frame 10 due to these large openings, suitable ribs (not shown) may be employed for additional strength and rigidity. 4

As the rod passes upwardly through this body of wax, much of which has been removed from the rod, it has a tendency, particularly due tothe enlargement O and-D, to pick up some of this wax and carry it out throughthe top of the scraper. This, however, is prevented by the top closure including the rubberscraper member 20. For this purpose the rubber member 20, as well as the rubber of the scraper member 17, is preferably treated to render it impervious to the action of the oil.

It will be observed that the annular plate 21 is fiat on top and thus serves as a convenient ledge on which to rest the-tools which serve to hold the sucker rod while the sucker rod section which has justemerged from the holder is being unscrewed from the couplin n For this purpose the frame 10 must be made strong enough to support the weight of the entire sucker rod and tools, which sometimes amounts to several tons.

In Fig. 7 is shown a modified form of .to rubber scraper member 23 which,-if-desire can be used in placed the member 20 shown in Fig. 5.

By the time the sucker rod has passed the three scraper members 17 and the top menn ber 20,- substantially all the wax and oils have been removed from the rod so that the sucker rod'can now be withdrawn from the well without the o aerator becoming covered with oil ashereto orewActual' tests in the oil field shave shown thisto'be a fact. The

wax'thus recovered is alsdquite valuable.

WhilefI have shownand described but a single embodiment ofmy. invention-, -it is to be understood that it is capable of man'y modr.

fications. Changesftherefore, in" the construction and arrangementmay-"be made which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims; i

I claim:

1. In a sucker rod cleaner, the combination of a hollow frame, and a plurality of vertically spaced yieldable scraper elements slidably mounted in said frame and projecting inwardly thereinto at different angles about the axis of the rod, said frame having a horizontal ledge about the top adapted to support a rod-holding tool.

2. In a sucker rod cleaner, the combination of a hollow frame, and a plurality of vertically spaced yieldable scraper elements slid- .ably mounted in said frame and projecting inwardly thereinto at different angles about the axis of the rod, said"elements having C-shaped openings in the end adapted to closely make contact with the sucker rod and to yield to permit enlargements thereon to pass through the scraper element.

3. In a sucker rod cleaner, the combination of a hollow frame, and a plurality of vertically spaced yieldable scraper elements yieldably mounted in said frame and projecting inwardly thereinto at diflerent angles about the axis of the rod, said elements having C-shaped openings in the end adapted to closely make contact with the sucker rod and to yield to permit enlargements thereon to pass through the scraper element.

4. Ina sucker rod cleaner, the combination of a hollow frame adapted to have a sucker rod pass therethrough, a plurality of holes in the side of said frame spaced about the axis of said rod, a holder secured in each of said holes, and a'flexible scraping element slidably and yieldably mounted in each of said holders, said elements being yieldable to permit enlarged elements on the sucker rod to pass therethrough.

5. In a sucker rod cleaner, the combination of a hollow frame adapted to have a sucker rod pass therethrough, a plurality of holes in the side of said frame spaced about theaxis of said rod, a holder secured in each of said holes, a flexible scraping element slidably mounted in each of said holders, and a spring urging each of said scraper elements towards said scraper rod, said elements being yieldable to permit'enlarged elements on the sucker rod to pass therethrough.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a sucker rod cleaning member comprising a thick block of rubber-like material having a hole adapted to closely surround a sucker rod and a slot from said hole to one side of the block, and means for holding said block.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of January, 1929.

ARTHUR M. SCHUSTER. 

